SP Master Maker: From MDF Sceptic to Sarissa Convert

“I used to think that MDF kits looked horrible, but then I bought some of your Dark Age buildings and realised that they are a fantastic base for detailing, and now I use them exclusively.”

Simon originally bought the Dark Age buildings for RuneQuest, historical saga games and roleplaying. His collection shows how much can be done with the kits, from adding timber and textured walls to furnishing individual rooms.

Reworking the Dark Age buildings

Simon had a clear idea of what he wanted to change:

“I am not usually a fan of MDF kits, as even with a great paint job they still look like MDF kits.”

He added real wooden beams and planking, textured the walls and reworked the roofs. Cigar-box veneer, model boat timber, coffee stirrers, texture paints and scenic materials all found their way into the builds.

“Here you can see I have started to add the wooden beams. The new roof coverings are Brillo pads, as seen at the Sarissa stand, easy to attach (super glue) and then trim down sharp corners and edges with nail scissors.”

The barn roof above uses a method he’d seen at our stand, It’s a useful technique to try, particularly if you’ve got a thatched building waiting on the workbench.

The interiors received plenty of attention too, with beams, furniture and fire pits added to the rooms. One building became a roadside inn, with Simon thinking about the community around it as he worked:

“Each room is being furnished; I am imagining an Inn on a crossroads which a small community has grown around. All the scenery elements are Irongate scenery.”

That gives the building a purpose on the gaming table as well as something to look at when the roof comes off. There’s room for a roleplaying encounter, an investigation, or a tavern brawl.

A Roman inn for Cohors Cthulhu

Years later, Simon returned to another Sarissa building for his Cohors Cthulhu collection.

He plastered and textured the Roman inn, added wooden beams and fitted individual roof tiles before painting and weathering it. The windows and doorways received extra attention:

“More beams. This took a long time, but it is worth it. I also framed the windows on the interior and bought a second set of the laser-cut card elements, so I had the square window and doorframes.”

It’s a good example of where “I’ll just add one more detail” can lead. The finished inn includes a courtyard, garden, pigsty, bar, kitchen, bedroom and brewery/distillery. There’s enough there to build a scenario around, with different spaces to explore and defend.

What we like about Simon’s collection is being able to follow the work that went into it. You can see where he’s added timber, changed a roof or furnished a room, and how those choices have shaped each building.

A few more from Simon

Simon also shared a couple of other Dark Age builds using the same approach.

Timber-Frame House/Workshop — another look at the build moving from worked thatch and added detail through to the finished structure.

Cart Barn/Forge/Stable — the same detailing and roofing treatment carried across a more open structure.

Thanks to Simon for sharing his photographs and explaining the methods behind them. A cracking addition to our SP Master Maker showcase.